Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from the Petichah LeChokhmat HaKabbalah ("An Introduction to the Wisdom of Kabbalah") to explore one such movement.
The text speaks of a "fusion" and then a "separation," a cycle that repeats itself in the spiritual worlds. It all starts with the "opacity of the body," remnants from an earlier stage of creation. This opacity, you see, existed within the "partition of the body" right from the start. Now, Rav Yehuda Leib Ashlag, the author of the Sulam commentary, clarifies that this "partition" isn't exactly the same as the original "partition of the Malkhut of the head." Malkhut, in this context, refers to the aspect of reception, the vessel that receives the divine light.
Why the difference? Well, the surrounding light, the Or Makif, has already begun to purify and refine some of that original opacity. Think of it like polishing a stone, gradually revealing its inner brilliance. As a result, this new partition lacks the opacity of the "fourth level," retaining only the levels above it.
So what does this mean? It means this partition creates a different kind of "returning light," known as Or Chozer. This returning light is purified, free from the densest aspects of that lowest, "fourth" level. But here's the catch: because it lacks that lowest vessel, it can't contain the very highest light. Consequently, the "head" of this new partzuf (spiritual configuration) only reaches as high as the bottom of the previous partzuf's head.
It's a bit like building with LEGOs. If you're missing a crucial piece, your structure can only go so high. This difference in form between the purified partition of the body and the original partition of the head becomes discernible again within the partition of the body. This detectable difference separates and expels it from the "mouth of the head" of the upper partzuf. The "upper partzuf" here refers to the complete structure of head and body, with all their respective partitions.
Think of it as a kind of spiritual sorting process. Elements that are no longer compatible separate to find their appropriate place.
This unification of the body's partition with the head's partition leads to a new fusion through collision. The surrounding light beats against this partition – a Malkhut that is now fusing instead of terminating – creating a fusion through that collision. This creates a new returning light that serves as vessels for the surrounding light, bringing about a new head that expands into a complete body.
However, this entire emergent structure only rises as high as the head of the previous partzuf because that's where the partition was operating. As a result, the head of the new partzuf is only as high as the bottom of the head of the previous partzuf.
But why does this separation occur in the first place? Because, as the text points out, differences in form separate spiritual entities from one another. It’s like oil and water – they might mix temporarily, but ultimately, their different natures cause them to separate. Instead of remaining on the level of the head of the upper partzuf, it must descend to the area "from the mouth of the upper partzuf and below."
Consequently, it's categorized as a second body in relation to the upper partzuf. This, the Sulam explains, answers the question: Why is this structure viewed as a separate partzuf? The difference in height means the upper partzuf and this partzuf are different and therefore exist as spiritually different entities. The head of the new emergent structure is categorized relative to the upper partzuf as merely its body, since it is drawn from the partition of the body of the upper partzuf. Therefore, this difference in form divides them into two separate bodies.
Because this new structure is an offshoot of the partition of the body of the previous upper partzuf, it's considered a "son" in relation to it, a branch extending from the tree. This answers the question of why this second partzuf is viewed as the "offspring" of the upper partzuf.
So, what do we take away from this intricate dance of fusion and separation? Perhaps it's a reminder that spiritual growth is a process of constant refinement, a shedding of old forms to make way for the new. It suggests that even within the grand scheme of creation, there's a continuous process of differentiation and integration, each stage building upon the last. And that even limitations, like the inability to reach the highest light, can be the catalyst for new beginnings.